#5) Vocational Rehabilitation And Return-To-Work Incentives
When Social Security approves a person's claim for disability benefits, a determination is made as to the likelihood that the person's medical condition will improve. If a person's condition improves while participating in a vocational rehabilitation program, that is likely to assist the person in becoming self-supporting. Social Security benefits may continue until the program ends. If medical improvement is not expected, a person will be eligible for a trial work period.
This trial allows a person to return to work with no restriction on earnings for up to nine months. After this period of time, a grace period of three months is allowed, during which the person can continue to work, while his or her individual case is evaluated. If the evaluation determines that the person is still disabled, that person can receive a Social Security disability monthly check, if there's any month during the next three years in which he or she does not earn $500 from employment.
So what's in it for the employer? Employers should keep in mind that, when an employee qualifies for Social Security disability, the employer-paid disability benefit is reduced by the original amount paid by Social Security. (Cost-of-living increases are not factored in.) This offsetting effect assures that the cost of benefits is shared by the employee and his or her employer. That's the best way to assure that employers can afford to offer this benefit to future employees.
Source: Allsup Inc.
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